What to Listen for in Music - Aaron Copland

[Opus106]

Really cool! Thank you!

You are welcome.

Great stuff!  These programs are superb.
In fact, I converted these last year into MP3 so I could listen to them at liesure.  (Don't tell the Beeb!!) 

I won't if you don't tell them about me first! I found this really nice script that rips the stream, converts it to mp3 and stores it in the HD.

[mahler10th]

I won't if you don't tell them about me first! I found this really nice script that rips the stream, converts it to mp3 and stores it in the HD.

Yes!  We are naughty!

[Benji]

You are welcome.

I won't if you don't tell them about me first! I found this really nice script that rips the stream, converts it to mp3 and stores it in the HD.

Is that the Ruby script? I've been using that...  But then I pay a licence fee for the upkeep of the BBC so I feel no guilt. 

[Opus106]

Is that the Ruby script? I've been using that...  But then I pay a licence fee for the upkeep of the BBC so I feel no guilt. 

Nah, just Bash.

[Grazioso]

I decided to finally give this book a shot based on this discussion, and having read about 2/3 of it so far, I'm rather disappointed. While Copland's book will be useful for an absolute beginner, anyone who has taken a music appreciation course, learned to play an instrument, and/or listened to a lot of classical music over the years probably won't get too much from it. Yes, it's written in basic, down-to-earth language, but it's also overly superficial and brief most of the time, if not outright vague. A few of Copland's points have made me think and listen more carefully, but most of it is all stuff I've long been aware of (and I'm just an avid listener, not a musicologist or professional musician, mind you). I was hoping for more depth and detail and insight, given Copland's status as a major composer.

Roger Kamien's Music: An Appreciation, a standard college textbook, would likely be better suited towards both novice and intermediate listeners. The old edition I read was both accessible and far, far more detailed than Copland's book. Unfortunately, as a textbook, it costs way more

[DavidRoss]

I decided to finally give this book a shot based on this discussion, and having read about 2/3 of it so far, I'm rather disappointed. While Copland's book will be useful for an absolute beginner, anyone who has taken a music appreciation course, learned to play an instrument, and/or listened to a lot of classical music over the years probably won't get too much from it.

But the question was:

Will this book serve as a suitable introduction to "music appreciation" for someone who has had no training in music, formal or otherwise?

[Opus106]

Roger Kamien's Music: An Appreciation, a standard college textbook, would likely be better suited towards both novice and intermediate listeners. The old edition I read was both accessible and far, far more detailed than Copland's book. Unfortunately, as a textbook, it costs way more

I borrowed it from the library, once. 7th Ed., IIRC. But I could not give it complete attention. However, I have nearly a month's worth of free time ahead of me and I hope to get it again and read through at least the basics.

As for Copland's book, there are times I feel that he is too brief and it might need some supplement material to explain the concepts better. Those BBC shows mentioned earlier come handy in these situations.

[Grazioso]

But the question was: "Will this book serve as a suitable introduction to 'music appreciation' for someone who has had no training in music, formal or otherwise?"

Only with the proviso that it should immediately be supplemented with beefier works. It's really much too brief and general, the baldest outline of some major concerns.

As for Copland's book, there are times I feel that he is too brief and it might need some supplement material to explain the concepts better. Those BBC shows mentioned earlier come handy in these situations.

I'll second those BBC shows; indeed, the whole BBC Discovering Music series is worth delving into: some of the programs are very insightful and helpful, and hearing audio examples of what's being discussed is invaluable.